If you’ve ever searched the web for wine information you’ve probably stumbled upon wine expert Gary Vaynerchuk. Just a few minutes into the offbeat wine commentary on his video and you’re instantly smitten by his contagious enthusiasm for all things wine. Vaynerchuk has developed an incredible following on wine library tv his web-based video with offbeat commentary. Appearances on high-profile shows like The Today Show and CNN have only added to the already growing fervor for his no-nonsense “de-snobbing” of wine. With over 800,000 followers on Twitter, he is also a master of the art of social media.
Vaynerchuk’s new book The Thank You Economy describes how he has achieved such success using social media. His pay-it-forward approach is a “a return to the kind of personal attention mom-and-pop-type businesses used to give their customers.” For example, while on Twitter, he doesn’t just try to sell someone a merlot. He asks specific questions to get at what kind of merlot they like and offers what to pair it with. This then creates “word of mouth on steroids.”
Successful TTV Wine Consultants take this concept to heart and apply it at their wine tasting events. They’re providing the same Vaynerchuk wine advice on a one-to-one basis. And, with the same word of mouth referrals, it’s becoming viral! In fact, the Traveling Vineyard capitalizes not on just “social media”, but on being “social” in general – the old fashioned way – face to face and in the comfort of the customer’s own living room – live. That’s what’s so great about TTV. You have someone to engage with and ask questions of right in front of you!
Vaynerchuk Kernels
Much of what Vaynerchuk espouses about the wine industry points to the success of The Traveling Vineyard:
- “So many great wines are not branded wines.” It’s not always about drinking a wine that has a recognizable label. As with the stock market, it’s all about finding values, discovering a wine that is undervalued for its price, i.e. a $15 wine that drinks like a $30 wine.With the Traveling Vineyard, you can take the time with your consultant to learn what makes this a value wine for its price – the winemaking technique, the region, the winery that we collaborated with in bringing it to you, etc.
- “Wine consumers, unlike with many other products, want to try different things.” Unlike with other products, people like experimenting with different wines. In spirits, it’s a different story. Someone looking for Crown Royal isn’t going to want to accept a substitute in X.With wine, they will try something new and that’s what the Traveling Vineyard is all about.